Quality Engineer

Quality Engineer

Bedford (On-site)
Permanent | 37.5 hours per week | 4-Day Working Week (Monday to Thursday)
Salary: £50,000 - £60,000 + Benefits
Current DV Clearance Required

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Quality Engineer to join a highly skilled team supporting complex engineering and manufacturing programmes within the defence sector.

This role will be responsible for ensuring quality standards are maintained throughout the product lifecycle, covering design, incoming materials, production control, product evaluation, programme performance, reliability, inventory control and research & development activities. The successful candidate will work closely with engineering, manufacturing, programme management, supply chain and customer stakeholders to ensure compliance with contractual, regulatory and business requirements.

The role offers the opportunity to contribute to high-profile programmes while driving continuous improvement and quality excellence across the organisation.

Important Information

This position will involve periods of off-site support, where you will be part of an away working party for extended periods of up to 30 working days at a time. This requirement is expected to continue until approximately August 2028, after which the role is anticipated to be primarily based at the Ampthill site.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as the primary point of contact for all quality-related matters on assigned projects.
• Ensure projects remain compliant with contractual, regulatory and internal quality requirements.
• Lead and manage non-conformance investigations from initiation through to closure.
• Facilitate Root Cause Corrective Action (RCCA) activities and ensure effective implementation of corrective and preventive actions.
• Review and approve quality documentation to ensure compliance with customer and industry standards.
• Participate in design reviews, providing quality assurance guidance and expertise.
• Support supplier quality activities and contribute to supplier performance improvement initiatives.
• Conduct product and process audits as required.
• Analyse quality data, identify trends and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support bids and proposals by advising on quality requirements and risk mitigation.

Essential Requirements

Security Clearance

• Current and transferable UK Developed Vetting (DV) Clearance is essential.
• Applicants without current DV clearance cannot be considered.

Experience & Skills

• Proven experience in a Quality Engineering role within a manufacturing, engineering or defence environment.
• Strong experience conducting Root Cause Analysis and implementing Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPA/RCCA).
• Ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining exceptional attention to detail.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to engage at all levels of an organisation.
• Experience working within Quality Management Systems and quality assurance processes.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications including Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Outlook.
• Ability to take ownership of issues and drive them through to successful resolution.

Desirable Skills & Experience

• Knowledge of ISO quality standards and compliance frameworks.
• Experience with SAP Quality Module.
• Background in CNC machining, materials engineering, manufacturing or low-volume, high-value production environments.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, CAD data and technical documentation.
• Experience working on defence or highly regulated programmes.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.